under a Creative Commons License. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics Anti-persistence in the global temperature anomaly field

Abstract. In this study, low-frequency variations in tem-perature anomaly are investigated by mapping temperature anomaly records onto random walks. We show evidence that global overturns in trends of temperature anomalies occur on decadal time-scales as part of the natural variability of the cli-mate system. Paleoclimatic summer records in Europe and New-Zealand provide further support for these findings as they indicate that anti-persistence of temperature anomalies on decadal time-scale have occurred in the last 226 yrs. At-mospheric processes in the subtropics and mid-latitudes of the SH and interactions with the Southern Oceans seem to play an important role to moderate global variations of tem-perature on decadal time-scales.